Burkina Faso’s flag (4 August 1984) bears red over green with a centred yellow star, replacing Upper Volta’s black‑white‑red tricolour. Red honours revolution and sacrifice; green agricultural wealth and hope; the yellow star the guiding light of progress. The change accompanied the country’s renaming under Thomas Sankara. Proportions 2:3 are typical; law fixes colours, star geometry, and protocol.
Burkina Faso’s flag marks a decisive break with colonial symbolism and a clear embrace of pan‑African colours. Upper Volta’s independence banner (1960) was a black‑white‑red tricolour representing the Volta rivers. On 4 August 1984, amid sweeping reforms and the country’s renaming to Burkina Faso, a new flag was adopted: red over green with a centred yellow five‑pointed star. Public explanations render the colours succinctly—red as revolution and sacrifice; green as the land’s fertility and agriculture; the yellow star as a guiding light of unity and progress—placing the republic within a continental colour tradition while asserting a distinct national narrative.
A 2:3 ratio is standard; the star’s diameter and exact centring, together with colourimetric references, are specified to ensure consistent manufacture. Protocol governs precedence with foreign flags, half‑masting, illumination when flown continuously at night, and dignified retirement; misuse is penalised. The 1984 design has endured through later political chapters and is now a stable anchor of ceremonies, education, and diplomacy. As a compact emblem the red‑green bicolour struck by a golden star communicates revolution, resources, and direction—a durable sign drawn with legal precision.